Euro fans sing praises of McIlroy and McDowell, literally

They might not have the most points for the European side, but there’s no question who was the most popular team at Celtic Manor this weekend: it was the Northern Ireland pairing of Graeme McDowell and Rory McIlroy. Walking the Celtic Manor course during the Ryder Cup, you would hear two kinds of roars: a Euro roar, which was a full-throated growl of approval and a Rory roar, which threatened to shake the soggy ground when the mop-topped 21-year-old made a big putt. The crowd even composed an impromptu song in honor of the boys from Ulster called “You’ve got Big Mac, but We’ve Got G-Mac.”McDowell and McIlroy finished their three matches with a record of 1-1-1, and they won their final match on Sunday against a tough Hunter Mahan vs. Zach Johnson team. Afterward the relieved pair entered the media center looking spent but satisfied. Good friends enjoying a good win. “I certainly found out two years ago, how difficult winning a point is in this tournament and we certainly experienced that the last couple of days,” McDowell said. “To play alongside one of my best friends and who I regard, one of the best players I've ever seen in the world; and you know, he's a very special player, and it's been great to play alongside him.” The chemistry McDowell and McIlroy displayed on the course carried over to their post-round press conference. When McIlory’s microphone didn’t work, McDowell moved his across the podium. “[We’re] sharing everything else this week, may as well share a microphone,” McIlory joked. “The home support has been awesome this week,” he said. “We really wanted to emphasize that and really get the crowd behind us, because, you know, the guys get roars on the golf course, and you obviously know if it's a European roar or an American one, and we try to get as many European roars as possible; even walking up to the greens and trying to get them going.” So what did they think of the song? “I'd certainly rather be G‑Mac than Big Mac,” McDowell said. “I know I could do with losing a little bit of weight.” McIlory chimed in, “Does that make me Wee-Mac?”(Photo: Getty Images)